Belt-tightener



(N6 Model.)

D. BOWMAN.

ABELT TIGHTENER.

Patented Mar-.227; 1883.I

mm. NVN...

ggg/;-

' ATTORNEYS.

n mens, Fhmmmgnpmr, wmhnygm UNITED STATESv PATENT 'Critica' DOCK BOWMAN,OF OYNTHIANA, KENTUCKY.

BELT-TIgGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 380,081, datedMarch27,v 1888.

Application filed July 14, 1887. Serial No. 244,307. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOCK BowMAN, of Gynthiana, in the county of Harrisonand State of- Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Belt-Tightener,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved`belt-tightener especially adapted for stretching a belt while it isheld onits pulleys, so as to enable the operator to cut part of the beltout and relace the ends, thereby shortening and tightening the belt toany length and any desired degree of tension.

The invention consists in the construction Aand arrangement of certainparts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fullydescribed hereinafter, claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in` all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of myimprovement with parts of the casing brokenont. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on theline w :v of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the sameon the line y y of Fig. l.

My improved; belttightener is provided with a casing, A, which is openat its ends and'carries in its center a shaft, B, on one end ofv whichis secured a crankarm, C, for turning said shaft in its bearings in thecasing A. On the shaft B is secured, inside of the casing A, thegear-wheel D, into opposite sides of which mesh the racks E, extendingin opposite directions, and each being pivoted at one end to across-rod, F, provided with the slots F,in which are held adjustably theclamping-bolts G, each provided on its lower end with a clamping-head,H, and on its threaded upper end screws a nut, I, for securing saidclamping-bolt G to the cross-bar F.

On the shaft B, outside of the casing A, is secured a ratchet-wheel, J,which engages a pawl, K, pivoted on the casing A, and adapted to holdand lock said shaft Bin position when the belt is stretched.

The operation is as follows: The cross`bars F are placed across the topof the belt Lpsuit.-

and pointed out in the able distances apart, and then each cross-bar Fis clamped to the belt by engaging the head H of the clamping-bolt Gwith the under side of the belt,and then tightening the nut I until thecross-bar F is securely fastened to the belt L. The operator now turnsthe crank-arm Cin the direction of the arrow a', thereby causing theracks E to move toward each other in opposite directions, whereby thecross-bars F are pulled toward each other, thus stretching the belt L,to which said cross-bars F are secured. As soon as the belt L has beensufficiently stretched, the operator cuts out part of the loose pieceofthe belt between the crossL bars F, and then relaces the ends of thebelt in the usual manner. It will be seen that the operator can thusstretch the belt L to any desired degree, soas to give the belt anydesired tension. As soon as the belt is relaced, the pawl K isdisengaged from its ratchet-wheel J and the clamping-bolts G are removedfrom the belt L,'so that the entire device can be taken off of the belt.

If it is desirable to use the tightener on chain belts, I provide eachcross-bar F with a hook, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) and fastensaid hook into the links of the chain, which can then be tightened inthe saine manner as above described in relation to the belt L. l

Having thus fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In abelt-tightener, the combination, with a casing open at both ends, ofashaft mounted to rotate in said casing, a gear-wheel secured to saidshaft inside of said casing, racks meshing into said gear-wheelv atopposite sides, cross-bars pivotally connected with said racks andadapted to be secured to the belt to be tightened, a ratchet wheelsecured Y to said shaft, and a pawl pivoted on said casing and engagingsaid ratchet-wheel, so as to hold the latter in position when the beltis tightened, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a belt-tightener, the combination, with a casing open at bothends, of ashaft mounted to turn in said casing, a clamp-arm for turnying said shaft, a gear-wheel secured to said shaft inside of saidcasing, racks meshing into roo Ysaid wheel at opposite sides, cross-barspivoting said ratchet-wheel, substantially as shown ally connected withsaid racks, each cross-bar and described.

being provided with a slot clamping-bolts A held adj ustably in theslots of said cross-bars DOCK BOWMAN 5 for securing the latter to thebelt to be -tight- Witnesses:

ened, a ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft, 'l. T. FORMAN,

and a pawl pivoted to said casing and engag- YV. S. GASON.

